Changes in the Earth and its atmosphere

1. Changes in the Earth and its atmosphere Changes in the Earth and its atmosphere Click to continue

2. Overview 1 • The Earth and its atmosphere provide everything we need. • The Earth has a layered structure consisting of the crust, the mantle and a core. • The surface of the Earth and its atmosphere have changed since the Earth was formed and are still changing. Click to continue

3. Overview 2 • The atmosphere has been much the same for the last 200 million years. It provides the conditions needed for life on Earth. • Recently, human activities have resulted in further changes in the atmosphere. How do you think life was formed? There is more than one theory. Click to continue

4. The Earth’s crust 1 The Earth consists of a core, the mantle and the crust. It is surrounded by the atmosphere. The Earth’s crust and the upper part of the mantle are cracked into a number of large pieces (tectonic plates). How do we know this? Click to continue

5. The Earth’s crust 2 Convection currents in the Earth’s mantle are driven by heat released by natural radioactive processes. These currents cause the plates to move at relative speeds of a few centimetres per year. The movements can be sudden and disastrous. Earthquakes and/or volcanic eruptions occur at the boundaries between tectonic plates. Click to continue

6. The Earth’s crust 3 What evidence is there for tectonic plates? Click to continue

7. Formation of the Earth Why is the core composed of iron and nickel? Click to continue

8. The Earth’s atmosphere 1 For 200 million years, the proportions of different gases in the atmosphere have been much the same as they are today: • about four-fifths (80%) nitrogen • about one-fifth (20%) oxygen • small proportions of various other gases, including carbon dioxide, water vapour and noble gases. What produced the oxygen gas? Click to continue

9. The Earth’s atmosphere 2 There are several theories about how the atmosphere was formed. One theory suggests that during this period the Earth’s atmosphere was mainly carbon dioxide and there would have been little or no oxygen gas (like the atmospheres of Mars and Venus today). There may also have been water vapour and small proportions of methane and ammonia. Click to continue

10. The Earth’s atmosphere 3 During the first billion years of the Earth’s existence there was intense volcanic activity. This activity released the gases that formed the early atmosphere and water vapour that condensed to form the oceans. Look at the diagram sequence on the next three slides. What happened to the methane and ammonia? Click to continue

11. The Earth’s atmosphere 4 Click to continue

12. The Earth’s atmosphere 5 Click to continue

13. The Earth’s atmosphere 6 Click to continue

14. Life on Earth There are many theories as to how life was formed billions of years ago. Plants produced the oxygen that is now in the atmosphere. Methane and ammonia burnt in this oxygen producing more water, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Most of the carbon from the carbon dioxide in the air gradually became locked up in sedimentary rocks as carbonates and fossil fuels. Click to continue

15. Carbon dioxide and the oceans The oceans also act as a reservoir for carbon dioxide but increased amounts of carbon dioxide absorbed by the oceans has an impact on the marine environment due to an increase in acidity. Why does carbon dioxide make the ocean more acid and why does this affect marine life? Click to continue

16. Burning fossil fuels Nowadays, the release of carbon dioxide by burning fossil fuels increases the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Explain the patterns shown in the table. Click to continue

17. The gases in air Air is a mixture of gases with different boiling points. It can be fractionally distilled to provide a source of raw materials used in a variety of industrial processes. What are these gases used for? Click to continue